Journal-box guard



(No Model.)

P. J. ROBERTS. 1 JOURNAL BOX GUARD.

No. 552,549. Patented Jan. '7', 1896.

MZTWZfSES [/VVENTUY? ANDREW B.GRANAMI.PHO1 'JZLITMQ WASHINGTON. D.C.

irn STATES FAB-IAN J. ROBERTS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

JOURNAL-BOX GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,549, dated January7, 1896.

Application filed April 5, 1895- Serial No. 544,5 8. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FABIAN J. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Dust-Guards; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the let-' ters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dust-guards foraxle-bearings; and it consists in the construction and arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly inthe claims.

The objects of the invention are to provide cheap, simple, and effectivemeans for excluding dust from axle-journals and in which the arrangementis such as to prevent any egress of the oil; to permit free and readyaccess to the axle-box; to provide for the withdrawal or insertion ofthe axle, andfor easily and quickly replacing the dust-guard when wornout, which objects are attained by the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinalsection through the axle-box and dust-guard, showing the axle inelevation. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the inner end of the axle-box,showing the removable slide on which the dust-guard is mounted partiallywithdrawn from the box. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the front end of theaxle-box with the dust-guard in the position shown in Fig. 2, and Fig.4: is a central vertical section through the slide and dust-guardmounted thereon.

Referring to the letters of reference, A dos ignates the axle-box, whichis preferably cast and rectangular in form and is provided with asuitable bearing-brass 19 therein. In the outer end of said box is asemicircular opening B which affords access thereto for the purpose ofintroducing the waste and oil. This aperture is closed by an oscillativedoor B, which is pivoted at ato the front of said box and is adapted tooscillate upon its point of pivot, said door being of such form as tofill said aperture when in a closed position and j to expose the entirearea of said aperture when open and is provided on its outer face i withan extending lug a, by means of which it is actuated. Said door issemicircular in form to correspond with said aperture and to render itdust-tight. Its circular edge is adapted to travel in a circular grooveor way 0 formed in the end of said box concentric with the point ofpivot of said door, whereby, when the door is closed, all dust and gritare prevented from passing into thebox through said opening. The innerend of said box is provided with two parallel walls 0 0 through which anelliptical aperture 1) is formed for the reception of the axle E, andbetween which is a vertical way adapted to receive a movable slide D,which is provided with an aperture through which the axle is adapted topass and which registers with the aperture Z) in said walls. This slideD is adapted to fit closely between said walls at the end of the box,but is capable of vertical movement therein, and the aperture in saidslide,through which the axle passes, is of smaller diameter than theapertures I) through said walls and closely embraces the periphery ofthe axle, the location of the parts being such. that when in theirnormal position the axle is supported centrally within the apertures 19,which allow of a limited vertical movement thereof, the slide Dtraveling with said axle in said movement, thereby obviating anyvariation of the opening in said slide which embraces said axle.

To provide for preventing any dust or dirt from falling upon the upperarc of the axle and working through the aperture in the slide D, thereis employed an apron F which is composed of textile fabric and is letinto the outer face of the slide D extending transversely thereof andnormally depending over the upper arc of the aperture therethrough, sothat when the axle is inserted therein said apron will bear upon theperiphery thereof, so that it will partially conform to the contour ofits upper are, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, whereby any dust ordirt falling upon the axle is swept therefrom by said apron as the axlerotates' As an additional guard, and to arrest the smaller particles ofdust and dirt from pass-' ing along the axle to the journal, there isemployed, upon the reverse or inner face of the slide D, a collar, ofleather or like material G, which is let into the face of said slidearound the aperture therethrough and is provided with the flexibleflanged portion 61 which embraces and extends longitudinally onto theaxle. This flange or leather collar is divided and its edges lapped oneon the other so as to permit said collar to be contracted closely aroundthe axle.

Mounted upon the inner face of said slide and secured thereto, in anysuitable manner, is a webbing of fabric H which covers the entire faceof said slide and is provided with a reduced aperture which registerswith the opening therein, and through which the flexible flange d of theleather collar extends. The size of the aperture through said webbingbeing smaller than that of the collar causes the edges c of the webbingto extend onto the flexible flange (Z of said collar when the axle ispassed through the aperture in said slide, which position of parts isshown in Figs. 1 and 4c, and by the contraction of the edge e of saidwebbing said flange d is caused at all times to closely embrace the axleand is held in yielding contact therewith. This extension of theflexible flange (Z inwardly onto ihat portion of the axle which projectsinto the box adjacent to the journal serves not only to prevent theentrance of dust along the axle to the journal, but obviates the escapeof oil from the box around the aperture through said slide D, for thereason that said flange, by the longitudinal play of the axle, will wipethe oil therefrom back into the box, confining the oil entirely withinthe box and preventing it from pass ing into the way in which the slideis located, as would result were said flange to terminate on a planeapproximate to the vertical face of the slide, as will be readilyunderstood.

The flexibility of the leather collar and flange andof the apron-guard Fenables them to be folded within the aperture through the slide D whenit is desired to withdraw said slide from the box. To accomplish this,the axle is first withdrawn, when said parts are folded within theaperture in the slide and said slide removed, as shown in Figs. 2, 3,and 4. This arrangement enables the dustguard to be readily replenishedwhen it shall have become so worn as to be of no further service, theflexible flange 01 being folded within the slide when it is replaced inthe box and is forced outward to its proper position to' embrace theaxle by the passage of the axle through the aperture in said slide, asshown in Fig. 1 and by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

To prevent the entrance of dust around the slide D from the top, saidslide is provided with the flexible covering I, which is attached to theupper edge thereof and which, projecting laterally, covers the openingaround said slide, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

It will now be seen that this improved device constitutes a simple,effective and inexpensive dust-guard, and which, when it becomes wornout, may be replaced by simply withdrawing the slide and attaching a newleather washer thereto and replacing the embracing-webbing H and theouter apron F, if required.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. 111 a dust guard for axles, the combination with the axle box, and aremovable slide in the end thereof through which the axle passes; of aflexible apron on the outer face of the slide, a collar on the innerface having a flexible flange, and a webbing also secured to the innerface of the slide and provided with an aperture having a flexible edgeadapted to receive the flange of the collar and hold the same againstthe axle, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a dust guard for axles, the combination of the axle box, theremovable slide located in the end of said box and apertured to receivethe axle which passes through said slide into the box and carries ajournal on its inner end, the flexible collar mounted on said slidearound the aperture through which the axle passes, said collar. havingan integral flange which extends into the axle box and embraces thelongitudinal periphery of the axle between the journal thereof and theface of said slide, and the fabric or webbing mounted on the face ofsaid slide next the box and having a reduced aperture normally smallerthan the axle through which said axle and flange extend and whichextends into the box and serves to contract said flange upon the axle.

3. In a dust guard for axles, the combination of the axle-box adapted toreceive the axle, the removable slide in the end of said box throughwhich the axle passes, the flexible apron mounted on the outer face ofsaid slide and embracing a portion of the upper arc of the axle, and theflexible covering mounted upon the upper edge of the slide and extendingover the edges of the opening or way in the box in which said slide islocated.

l. In a dust guard for axles, the combination with the axle-box having asemicircular opening in the upper face of the outer end thereof, theremaining portion of the end of said box below said opening being solid,said box having a circular way in the upper wall thereof adjacent to andconcentric with said opening, of the semicircular door pivoted to theinner face of the solid portion of theend of said box concentric withsaid way, in which its edge is adapted to travel, whereby the aperturein said box may be opened or closed by the oscillation of said door.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FABIAN J. ROBERTS. WVitnesses Trmo. F. MJILLSPAUGH, E. S. WHEELER.

